- Davies (13), Bouazza (48), Murphy (75)
- Petrov (36), Mpenza (50), Petrov (60)
- Date:2007-09-22
- Kick-off:17:15
- Venue:Craven Cottage
- Attendance:24674
- Referee:Halsey, M
Live Commentary
90mins
All square at Craven Cottage after a thrilling game
90mins
Kasper Schmiecal made a difficult decision to come and punch the ball from a free kick and he can count himself lucky Fulham didn't score
90mins
Lawrie Sanchez is out in his technical area urging his team to go on and win the game
90mins
The fourth official indicates 4 minutes of added time
88mins
Dietmar Hamann booked for a needless foul
86mins
Richard Dunne with a sliced clearance is adored by the home crowd as Fulham regain possession
84mins
Stephen Ireland is replaced by Sun Jihai
83mins
Richard Dunne showed great strength and pace to match Kamara as he raced through on goal and clear the ball to safety
81mins
Bianchi and Geovanni replace Elano and Mpenza
80mins
Sven Goran Eriksonn gets Rolando Bianchi and Geovanni ready to come on as substitutes
77mins
Emile Mpenza with a total mis-cued shot as Man City push forward to try and get a winning goal
75mins
FULHAM 3 - 3 MAN CITY: (GOAL) Danny Murphy with a good finish to equalise in this dramatic game
70mins
And so is Dempsey
70mins
Richards is booked for his part in the incident
70mins
Micah Richards and Clint Dempsey go head to head after an aerial challenge
67mins
Seol Ki-Hyeon replaces David Healy
67mins
Hameur Bouazza is replaced by Danny Murphy
66mins
Micah Richards shows his class once again as he held off Kamara and played the ball on easily
63mins
Man City are playing some fantastic football and are looking very dangerous every time they attack
61mins
FULHAM 2 - 3 MAN CITY: (PETROV) A great move and goal between Elano and Petrov allowed Petrov into the box and the Bulgarian fired home to put City in front
60mins
Kasper Schmiechel dealt well with a low cross into the box from Konchesky, gathering it comfortably
57mins
Bocanegra once again in the action this time almost smashing the ball into the top corner with a half volley
55mins
Carlos Bocanegra is booked for a late lunging tackle on Elano
52mins
Carlos Bocanegra clatters into the boardings after tackling Mpenza but he looks to be ok
50mins
FULHAM 2 - 2 MAN CITY: (MPENZA) Emile Mpenza with an immediate reply for Man City with a close range header
49mins
FULHAM 2 - 1 MAN CITY: (BOUAZZA) Hameur Bouazza with a magnificent powerful free kick from twenty yards out
47mins
Kamara straight into the thick of the action nutmegging Richard Dunne and winning a free kick on the edge of the area
46mins
Fulham restart the game
45mins
Diomansy Kamara replaces the injured SImon Davies
45mins
Half time and it's all square at the break
45mins
It's all Man City towards the close, as the fourth official indicates one of added time
43mins
Bouazza did well to win a corner off Corluka as he surged down the left
40mins
Man City are getting back into the game slowly but surely as their goal looks to have knocked Fulham's confidence
38mins
Dietmar Hamann struck a half volley with perfection but unfortuneately it flew past the left hand upright
36mins
FULHAM 1 - 1 MAN CITY: (PETROV) Martin Petrov cut in from the left hand side and rode two challenges before poking the ball past Niemi into the bottom corner
34mins
Dietmar Hamann switched the ball to Garrido on the left, but the Spaniard couldn't pick a blue shirt out in the box
32mins
Vedran Corluka got forward to the byline and whipped the ball accross the face of the goal, but there was not a Man City player in sight and Chris Baird cleared to safety
30mins
Simon Davies is doing well down the right hand side and is causing Javier Garrido some problems
27mins
Martin Petrov missed the chance to put City level as Elano flicked a cross onto him at the back post, but the Bulgarian fired wide of the goal
25mins
Man City are off the pace and giving the ball away sloppily, this time it was Micah Richards who was caught in possession
23mins
David Healy claims for a penalty after he looked to be blocked off by Javier Garrido inside the penalty area
21mins
Fulham have played some good football in the opening twenty minutes and are putting Man City under suprising pressure
19mins
Steven Davis with another electrifying run from midfield but Hameur Bouazza stole the ball and fired way over the bar
17mins
Micah Richards with some solid defending once again for City
15mins
Clint Dempsey leaves the field for treatment on a head injury inflicted by Micah Richards
13mins
FULHAM 1 - 0 MAN CITY: (DAVIES) Simon Davies puts Fulham ahead with a superb glancing header from a Hameur Bouazza cross
11mins
Martin Petrov win Man City their first corner of the game which dropped just outside the box, for Elano to fire the ball straight down Anti Niemi's throat
9mins
Emile Mpenza did well to knock the ball off for Stephen Ireland who ran onto the ball but fired it a mile over the bar
7mins
Steven Davis with a surging run from midfield but took one touch too many and Vedran Corluka intercepted the ball
5mins
Good intervention by Micah Richards who just did enough to knock David Healy off balance as he looked to get his shot off
4mins
Simon Davies picked the ball up on the wing and whipped a good cross into the box that was cleared by Richard Dunne
2mins
Kasper Schmeichel get his hands on the ball early in the game with a good claim from Clint Dempsey's cross
1mins
Man City get the game underway
0mins
Referee: Mark Halsey
0mins
Clint Dempsey will be looking to continue his good for for Fulham, who will be looking to climb up the table with a home win here at Craven Cottage.
0mins
City will be boosted by the return of Richard Dunne who was suspended in the last game against Villa, and Stephen Ireland is also recalled to the side after his recent ordeal.
0mins
Fulham Line-up: Niemi, Baird, Bocanegra, Hughes, Konchesky, Bouazza, Smertin, Davies, Davis, Healy, Dempsey
0mins
Manchester City Line-up: Schmeichel, Corluka, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Ireland, Hamann, Johnson, Petrov, Elano, Mpenza
Match Preview
Fulham must get over the disappointment of Wigan's late equaliser last weekend when they host in-form Manchester City on Saturday evening.
The Cottagers ran last weekend's game but couldn't build on Clint Dempsey's opener. It cost them two points as Jason Koumas equalised with a penalty 10 minutes from the end. That barely deserved goal has been bugging Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez ever since.
"I'd have thought that was about as comprehensive as you can get without actually winning a match and ultimately we were hanging on," Sanchez complained later in the week.
There was some good news though for midfielder Jimmy Bullard, who won the 'worst injury' award last season with a dislocated kneecap and massive cruciate ligament damage. The former Wigan man has returned to training and is looking to play again in October.
Distractions are the last thing Fulham need though, as City look to make it five wins from seven games.
Their fourth win followed two defeats - to Arsenal and Blackburn - and the beginning of what was supposed to be a downturn in fortunes for the surprise package.
As it is, the 1-0 win at home to Aston Villa left them second in the league, one point above their more esteemed Manchester rivals.
Despite this early promise, veteran German midfielder Dietmar Hamann has warned that getting over-excited could be rather premature.
"If we can (win consistently at home) we can stay in the top half. But I think we are going to have to wait until Christmas and see where we are then," he suggested.
A question mark remains over young Republic of Ireland international Stephen Ireland, who was dropped by manager Sven-Goran Eriksson having pulled out of the recent Euro 2008 qualifier against the Czech Republic in controversial circumstances.
City have options in midfield but would want Ireland back if possible as the 21-year-old has become an important cog in the team that has climbed up the Premier League table this season.
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Match Report
Two inspired substitutes clawed the game back for Lawrie Sanchez's Fulham as they came from behind to equalise and very nearly the win this pulsating game with Manchester City.
Ki-Hyeon Seol and Danny Murphy combined as the former Spurs man rolled the ball past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the 75th minute.
This six-goal bonanza put paid to Sven-Goran Eriksson's conservative start to his Premier League campaign - City's previous five games had ended 1-0.
City held on for the draw - their first of the season - and Sanchez managed to break the hoodoo of conceding late as Fulham, urged on by an expectant crowd, showed great character.
After a slow start, the game really ignited after the interval.
The teams went into the break with one goal a piece, with Welshman Simon Davies having opened the scoring for the home side.
After 13 minutes the tousle-haired winger ghosted in from the right, undetected by City's sluggish defence, and ran in between Micah Richards and Richard Dunne to nod home Hameur Bouazza's cross at the near post.
The City skipper, making his 250th Premier League appearance, was culpable after ball watching, but his team managed to equalise through left-winger Martin Petrov ten minutes before the break.
The Bulgarian cut inside from the left and breezed passed the woeful challenges of Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird before shooting.
Fulham keeper Antti Niemi should have done better, though Petrov did not mind - it was his first for City since signing from Atletico Madrid in the summer.
The goal spurred City on and Fulham played as though they were expecting to lose, though Sanchez had other ideas.
At half-time he brought on striker Diomansy Kamara, who made an immediate impact.
He was felled on the left edge of the area by Dunne and Bouazza netted the resulting free-kick.
Petrov, galvanised by his first-half goal, began to look menacing, and his shot three minutes later was parried by Niemi, but only as far as Emile Mpenza, who
obligingly nodded in.
The winger then put City ahead ten minutes later after volleying home a one-two with Elano.
Murphy and Seol came on with 22 minutes left and Fulham looked hungry again.
Murphy's goal - his first for the club - was deserved for Fulham's tenacity.
The 30-year-old could have won the game for Sanchez but he blazed over two minutes later.
In the end a draw was a fair result in a game where both teams tried their hardest and produced a great spectacle.
Fulham Team
Manchester City Team
Fulham | Manchester City |
Corners
| 6 | 2 |
Fouls
| 10 | 7 |
Goal attempts
| 13 | 11 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 6 |
Offsides
| 1 | 0 |



90mins
Geovanni drived forward from the middle and opened up some space to shoot, but his effort flew desperately over the bar